We all know how reliable credit scores are.. Thank god we’ve now got a system for social media that’s just as unregulated and flawlessly customized. Makes perfect sense. Who the F curates what matters and what doesn’t at KLOUT? It’s comparable to the likes of a video game.. That’s really what it is… Zero sum nonsense.

Because if someone can establish the global frame of reference for our respective influence in this miasma of social media, they stand to make a killing; and no matter how many problematic assumptions are required to make even the simulacrum of an effort to do so, they will try. But from the point of view of the rest of us, even the lure of a glittering number on what I assume is a logarithmic scale should not appeal, trivial gifts and random hiring stories notwithstanding. For the social thing is just in its first beginnings and we don’t have much idea where it’s going. I’m just pretty sure the digi-eugenicists purveying their Klownish Kriteria are as likely to be wrong as they have made it difficult to escape the clutches of their system.

Because a map of the roles and reputations of people within communities allows you to navigate between them fluidly. Example: I want to dive into Twitter and read actual insights into the Mayweather-Cotto boxing match. Thus, I want to enter the boxing community, get excellent commentary, and exit a couple hours later. Without algorithmic filtering of the din, it is impossible.

Why? Because if you add Klout to a blender, stuff LinkedIn (it’s big and unwieldy), cram Twitter in (just for now, you can add Facebook later), then flip to high, give it 30 seconds and pour into a frosted glass and hold up against an orange light, you’ve got something incredibly useful for getting Gen Y employed.

But seriously, assuming their algorithm was worth anything (and it CURRENTLY isn’t), it would be a powerfull feature to measure online influence and reach, which is something REALLY useful for brands. Also, people like to measure themselves against their peers/friends (admittedly, guilty – who hasn’t googled their own name?), and why not capitalize in that?!

I rarely comment, but this was just too beautiful, too lovely – I couldn’t resist:)

To Mr./Miss/Mrs/ “”L.D.”” You got it just right:) Whoever finds the holy grail of SINCERE human nature/behavior on-line & discovers the real influencers, will be utterly rich & powerful.

The issue is, the behavioral data currently collected is of little use & is at risk of becoming a big mess of algorithmic *nothingness* if they’re not careful…

Ideally the cream would rise to the top – Great in theory, flawed in practice. While it’s true a fair number of people still exhibit honest on-line behavior; (by honest I mean behaving in way the truely represents their wants, desires, interests, preferences & lifestyle) their numbers are decreasing.

What we see now is an increasing number of people who, In an attempt to rise to the top of the social media system, are “beginning” to behave in a cacluated manner to increase to beat the system. They behave in ways to increase their own brand, own popularity, own social media presence. This behavior is not based on TRUE likes, genuine preferences, legitimate wants, not based on following people they like, sharing posts they necessarily believe or even enjoy, liking products they’d really buy or want or have interest in.

Obviously, this is skewing the entire system & it’s getting progressively worse as more & more people exhibit on-line behavior NOT based on anything true indication of themselves.

The *lovely* idea of the cream will rise to the top is beginning to crumble.

Social media infuence & an open world of sharing where cream ideally rises to the top has hit a snag…Where will it go next? Time will tell…

I rarely comment, but this was just too beautiful, too lovely – I couldn’t resist:)

To Mr./Miss/Mrs/ “”L.D.”” You got it just right:) Whoever finds the holy grail of SINCERE human nature/behavior on-line & discovers the real influencers, will be utterly rich & powerful.

The issue is, the behavioral data currently collected is of little use & is at risk of becoming a big mess of algorithmic *nothingness* if they’re not careful…

Ideally the cream would rise to the top – Great in theory, flawed in practice. While it’s true a fair number of people still exhibit honest on-line behavior; (by honest I mean behaving in way the truely represents their wants, desires, interests, preferences & lifestyle) their numbers are decreasing.

What we see now is an increasing number of people who, In an attempt to rise to the top of the social media system, are “beginning” to behave in a cacluated manner to increase to beat the system. They behave in ways to increase their own brand, own popularity, own social media presence. This behavior is not based on TRUE likes, genuine preferences, legitimate wants, not based on following people they like, sharing posts they necessarily believe or even enjoy, liking products they’d really buy or want or have interest in.

Obviously, this is skewing the entire system & it’s getting progressively worse as more & more people exhibit on-line behavior NOT based on anything true indication of themselves.

The *lovely* idea of the cream will rise to the top is beginning to crumble.

Social media infuence & an open world of sharing where cream ideally rises to the top has hit a snag…Where will it go next? Time will tell…Human nature is indeed fascinating isn’t it???

Personally I joined Klout because I wanted to see how it worked. But now I only stick around to be amused by the various dumb things it decides I’m influential about. A while back it was sure I was an authority on Adolf Hitler. Today? “Klout believes you are influential about Ohio.” OK, sure.

Now the data collected from PATH for example, might be worth something. Path (Much like Instagram) is a tighter tracking system with some real sincerity behind it. Twitter & face book behavior data, not so much. You-Tube it depends…

KLOUT, if you’re looking for one massive *alleged* popularity contest, you’re headed in the right direction. What you’re suggesting as *influence* has already turned into a big circle game of one upmanship – With everyone hanging off everyone else’s coat tails, yanking at each other, with no thought or meaning behind their behavior, what they share, or who they follow other than getting ahead themself.

It’s all about gamification.. I recently returned from traveling and going cold turkey on the internet. I started checking Klout and got addicted to trying to improve my score. Its like personal SEO optimization; tho I think algorithm is flawed.

From the top few comments it would appear to allow businesses to collect data on who the influential people are so they can get them endorsing their products. What it gives back to the end user apart from a good privacy raping is unclear, although the narcissism reply seems pretty astute.

It’s interesting to think more deeply about how LinkedIn works and will continue to work. Sure those recommendations are real, but great opportunity is afforded to be disingenuous. Who is going to always publicly tell the whole truth about a former or current colleague for that matter. I highly recommend [ahem] an exciting startup called http://Recmnd.Me. The smart folks over there have created a revolutionary algorithm that allows you to conduct a recommendation in less than five seconds. Much more fun and efficient than LinkedIn. It’s where the rubber hits the road and what separates the fluff…from the right stuff!